Microwave ovens provide a convenient means of cooking and reheating food items. Frequently, users transport microwaveable food items from home to work or another location by placing the food item in a plastic bag, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a plastic container. Although some of such materials or containers may be placed in the microwave oven, such materials or containers often result in the food item being undesirably soggy. In contrast, by merely cooking the food item on a paper plate, napkin, paper towel, or other commonly available substrate, the food item often becomes dried out and hardened.
Many combinations of materials of different character have been used in microwave packaging to influence the effect of the microwave energy on the food product being heated. These microwave packaging materials may be microwave transparent, for example, paper, paperboard, or many plastics, or they may be microwave interactive, for example, metal foils or thin metal deposits. Microwave transparent materials generally provide, for example, food product support, packaging form, insulation, and vapor barrier functions in packaging. Microwave interactive materials generally provide, for example, enhanced surface heating, microwave shielding, enhanced microwave transmission, and energy distribution functions in packaging. Microwave packaging often is created and configured for a particular food product or type of food product using materials chosen to best exploit the cooking ability of a microwave oven with respect to that food product. However, such packaging typically is provided only with the particular food item and is not independently available for purchase and use with food items prepared by a user.
Thus, there is a need for a package for a food item that may be used to contain a food item, transport the item between locations, and heat or cook the food product therein. Further, there is a need for a package that provides browning and/or crisping of the food item during microwave heating or cooking. Still further, there is a need for a package that is available for purchase and use with food items prepared by a user.